Chapter 223: One Against Seven?

223. Chapter 223: One Against Seven?

Feng Xiaotian stood frozen as if turned to stone, staring dumbfounded at the spot. He suddenly felt something was off, as if he had kicked a steel plate.

If the opponent really is the captain of Blue Tyrant Academy, his cultivation should not be lower than Duguyan's, and he would also be a Soul Emperor.

Soul Emperor? Going to duel him alone? He was now extremely nervous, feeling trapped.

Yu Tianyun seemed not to care about him at all, simply gazing at him calmly and slowly saying, "You don't need to be afraid; I meant that I will go on the stage alone, and you can bring your teammates with you."

"Arrogant!" As he noticed more and more eyes focusing on him, especially his goddess looking over, Feng Xiaotian's face couldn't stay composed, instantly flushing red, and luckily his mask covered it, otherwise he would have looked even more ridiculous.

"I, Feng Xiaotian, will never take advantage of you; just one‑on‑one!"

Yu Tianxinle, who didn't mind the fuss, gave Feng Xiaotian a thumbs‑up, thinking the guy was truly brave! When Yu Tianyun was eight, he could already defeat Yu Tianheng. Although he didn't know how strong Yu Tianyun is now, he was sure Yu Tianyun wouldn't be weaker than Yu Tianheng; even if he hadn't reached the Soul Emperor realm, he was already fast, and his true strength must far surpass his peers. In a duel between Feng Xiaotian and Yu Tianyun, he dared say it would definitely be a one‑nine opening.

"Do as you wish!" Yu Tianyun said, then ignored Feng Xiaotian.

In his eyes, Feng Xiaotian was just a clown; the type he despised most in his life was this kind of sycophant.

Feng Xiaotian's forehead veins bulged; Yu Tianyun's indifference made him feel utterly ashamed. Yet whatever he said now would sound feeble, unless he could defeat Yu Tianyun—but could he? In the distance, Huo Wu had been silently watching everything; originally she wore a faint smile and harbored a vague fondness for Yu Tianyun, but now she had become completely sullen. At the same time, she grew even more contemptuous of Feng Xiaotian, calling him brainless and overreaching.

"He's not only humiliating Feng Xiaotian, he's humiliating us!" Huo Wu looked at her teammates and said angrily in a low voice.

But she hadn't lost her mind; instead of saying anything about the past, she told her brother and teammates, "Since he wants one‑against‑seven, we'll give him that. This match allows only victory, no defeat! He must learn that arrogance comes with a price."

She now had no affection for Yu Tianyun at all, only a hint of disgust.

"Yes!"

Huo Wushuang and all the competing members of the Blazing Fire Academy answered in unison, their eyes burning with anger. As fire‑type Soul Masters, they were already quick‑tempered, and Yu Tianyun's arrogant words sparked them instantly.

Although Huo Wu was the vice‑captain, she was the highest‑cultivated and strongest member of the Blazing Fire Team; her words were more effective than even the captain, Huo Wushuang's.

Then, Huo Wu began discussing tactics with them.

Time flew by; an hour later, it was finally the match between Blue Tyrant Academy and the Blazing Fire Academy.

"Preliminary round fourteen, match ten: Blue Tyrant Academy versus Blazing Fire Academy," the host's voice rang throughout the venue.

Immediately, the entire audience erupted. Yesterday Blue Tyrant Academy clashed with Elephant Armor Academy; although it was a one‑sided crushing, seeing many beautiful women in dashing poise still made them feel the event was spectacular and worth attending.

They wondered whether today against the Blazing Fire Academy would again be a one‑sided affair; all the spectators were eager.

Yu Tianyun followed the staff to the arena.

As soon as he passed through the corridor, a roaring cheer met him.

"Is the popularity this high?" Yu Tianyun couldn't help exclaiming, but immediately the cheers stopped, turning into a buzz of murmuring.

"Who is this pretty boy? Where's my goddess?"

"I don't know, could this pretty boy also be from Blue Tyrant Academy?"

"Then why is he on stage alone?"

"What else could he be doing? Surely the goddess is on her period, letting him concede."

"It sounds plausible, but I still feel something's off."

"Never mind him, either refund the tickets or give me back my goddess!"

"Right, no, that's my goddess!"

"……"

Soon, the murmurs turned into a chorus of boos; almost all male spectators dismissed him.

Even his handsomeness drew screams from all the women, but the number of women was far fewer than the men, making the cheers faint.

"A bunch of perverts, just jealous," Yu Tianyun smirked, walking calmly onto the central ring.

In the VIP seats, Yu Yuanzhen saw his young grandson and was slightly stunned. "What is this kid up to? What's the point of him entering the competition; isn't this a bit too flamboyant?"

In fact, the sect's reputation he sought had already met his goals; whether Yu Tianyun participated or not no longer mattered, but he hadn't expected Yu Tianyun to still come, and alone.

However, after a change of mind, he felt relieved. His grandson's strength surpassed his own, and even if he was flamboyant enough for everyone to know his power, it didn't matter.

At that moment, Emperor Xue Ye cheerfully asked Yu Yuanzhen, "Master Yu, this youngster stepping onto the ring should be your grandson, right? Is he looking for a one‑against‑seven?"

Hearing this, Yu Yuanzhen stroked his mustache with a smile, saying, "This brat is a newborn calf not fearing tigers; once he has a bit of strength he forgets the limits of heaven and earth."

His words seemed modest, but anyone could see he was bragging—bare, blatant bragging!

Dugubo, Chen Xin, and Ning Fengzhi all cast contemptuous glances at him; the old fellow was shameless.

Only Sa La Si looked at the ring with a slightly grim face, daring not to retort to these big shots.

Aside from Xue Ye, there was no one present he could provoke, especially since another tough guy—Dugubo—had arrived.

His fear of Dugubo was even greater than Yu Yuanzhen's; this is what makes a true tough guy.

He only has one granddaughter as his soft spot; lacking family ties, compared to others, Dugubo faces far fewer constraints.

If you offend him, who knows what he could do? Especially since Dugubo's reputation is famously capricious and vengeful; calling him notorious wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Thus, Sa La Si behaved very honestly, not letting out a single fart.

Emperor Xue Ye quickly waved his hand, laughing loudly, "No, no, Master Yu, that's mistaken. This is what a young person is—bold, unafraid of challenges, a true teenage hero."

The more he looked at Yu Tianyun, the more satisfied he was; handsome, strong, with a solid background, making him an excellent candidate for Crown Prince.

Yu Yuanzhen felt Emperor Xue Ye's smile was a bit off, perhaps overly enthusiastic, yet the words still made his heart bloom; he laughed and replied, "Your Majesty, your praise is mistaken!"

…On the ring, the members of the Blazing Fire Academy also walked forward slowly, exuding impressive aura.

Yu Tianyun's eyes, deep and sparkling like obsidian, calmly gazed at the seven members of the opposing Blazing Fire Academy.

Their formation formed a triangle; at the front stood a man of average height and relatively ordinary looks, though not as plain as Tang San. His eyes flickered with intense heat, his shoulders were broad, and he wore a gold‑red team uniform, looking quite imposing.

Yu Tianyun was certain this person was the captain of the Blazing Fire Team—Huo Wushuang, a level‑42 offensive‑type Soul Master, martial soul: Single‑Horned Flaming Dragon.

Because Yu Tianyun only glanced, he precisely detected his soul power level and sensed a draconic aura. Behind Huo Wushuang stood a Soul Master of level‑38. Further back were two cold‑looking youths, identical in appearance—twin brothers—each at level‑39, just one step away from level‑40 and ready to break through.

The final three were two men and a woman. The two men were unremarkable; they were two Soul Elders, and Yu Tianyun knew they were the two fire‑type support Soul Masters of the Blazing Fire Team.

What struck him as odd was that these two fire‑type support Soul Masters were not the frail build typical of support masters; they were robust, fierce, even looking more like offensive Soul Masters than Huo Wushuang.

As for what truly captured Yu Tianyun's attention, it was the sole female Soul Master in the Blazing Fire Team.

No need to guess, I know she's definitely the goddess of Feng Xiaotian's bootlicker—Huo Wu.

Huo Wu's soul power level is the highest in the Blazing Fire Academy team, reaching level 43, martial soul: Fire Shadow, belonging to the control type.

Yu Tianyun couldn't help glancing at her a few more times, not because she has anything special, but because as a man he subconsciously looks twice at a beautiful woman. Especially a beauty standing among a group of dignitaries, she stands out, making it hard not to attract attention.

If the Tianshui Girl Troupe stood before him, he wouldn't single anyone out, because he wouldn't know which one to look at.

Huo Wu's appearance is considered extremely beautiful; although she is slightly less stunning than the little wives in his household, that doesn't mean Ning Rongrong and the others were initially more beautiful than Huo Wu.

Rather, after taking the celestial herb, they become elevated, gaining an ethereal aura that makes them appear even more superior.

Huo Wu's dark‑red, big wavy long hair, paired with her gold‑red team uniform, is just right. She looks like a blaze of fire, enough to melt any man's heart.

Especially her figure perfectly matches Yu Tianyun's aesthetic; she is the tallest among the seven, and every curve is in the right place—any more would be plump, any less would be thin, truly perfect.

"It's just that her temper really seems a bit off," Yu Tianyun muttered to himself.

Since he stepped onto the stage, Huo Wu has been staring at him with eyes that seem to spew fire, as if she owed him tens of thousands of Jin Hun Coins.

Seeing that the Blazing Fire Academy's contestants had all arrived, while the Blue Tyrant Academy had only Yu Tianyun, the referee could tell what was happening: this Blue Tyrant Academy is probably going to take on the many with the few again.

However, out of professional conduct, he couldn't help asking.

"Blue Tyrant Academy's contestant, are you planning to compete alone?"

"Exactly!" Yu Tianyun nodded.

Seeing this, the referee said no more, nodded, and prepared to announce the start of the match.

At the same time, he was filled with anticipation; a one‑against‑seven had never occurred in any previous major tournament.

The referee walked to the center of the arena and shouted, "Both sides line up, salute."

There were eight contestants in total; Yu Tianyun faced the seven from Blazing Fire Academy alone, each performing the salute.

Yu Tianyun's gaze naturally met Huo Wushuang; even before the match began, a one‑sided smell of gunpowder filled the arena.

The seven opponents glared at Yu Tianyun, and Huo Wushuang said in a deep voice, "So you're Yu Tianyun, your Blue Tyrant Academy is really arrogant!"

"What? Is arrogance illegal? True strength isn't just talk; it's demonstrated by power," Yu Tianyun raised an eyebrow and lifted his fist.

Huo Wushuang was so angry his teeth ached; being not good with words, he momentarily didn't know how to retort—indeed, no law forbids arrogance.

But the hot‑tempered Huo Wu could no longer hold back; with one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Yu Tianyun, she cooed, "You pretty boy, I'll show you how powerful our Blazing Fire Academy is! Arrogance may not be illegal, but you'll get beaten! I'll smash you to the ground and see if you can still be arrogant."

"Oh, I'll be watching," Yu Tianyun replied perfunctorily.

Seeing Yu Tianyun's attitude, Huo Wu was furious; she was so beautiful, yet her words were so infuriating.

She felt as if she were punching cotton—her strength had nowhere to go; the more she thought, the angrier she became, her full chest seemed ready to burst, her body temperature rose instantly, warping the light.

Yu Tianyun clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking, "She really is hot‑tempered, ignites at the slightest spark, can't stand it so easily? Then she'll be in trouble soon."

He knew well that dealing with this tsundere miss, the more he argued, the more trouble it caused. Ignoring her would only make her half‑dead with anger, with nothing left to say.

Seeing both sides tense, the referee cleared his throat and shouted, "Contestants, prepare; you may release your martial souls now."

As he issued the command, the referee hurriedly stepped back, eager to see how high Yu Tianyun's cultivation truly was, and whether he truly deserved his arrogance.

In an instant, brilliant light blossomed over the central arena.

Intense Soul Ring radiance filled the entire arena; this was the Soul Ring released by the Blazing Fire Academy contestants, undeniably the best‑matched Soul Rings.

"Eh? This pretty boy isn't conceding; it seems he's really going for a one‑against‑seven!"

Although the referee's voice was unclear, his preparatory gestures were visible, and the audience erupted instantly.

"WTF, this is so wild?"

"Goddess Huo Wu, beat him! Smash his face."

"Why are you letting Goddess Huo Wu reward him?"

"..."

Originally stretching lazily, Yu Tianyun suddenly turned pale, sensing a flood of malicious intent.

"Hmph, a bunch of lemon spirits, just wait, I'll blind your dog eyes!"

Immediately, a crackling of electric current rang out, and a fierce blue surge erupted on Yu Tianyun's body. (End of chapter)